Social Services News

Namibian ship repair company Namdock has resumed full operations with effect from Tuesday, in accordance with the inception of stage 2 of Namibia’s national COVID-19 lockdown, which has seen the partial easing of restrictive measures thanks to the recent flattening of the minimal in-country infection curve.“Over the past few weeks we have put strict personal protection and sanitization measures in place, to ensure that we could safely resume full-capacity operations when the time came.

Several workers on a BP Plc oil platform in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico have tested positive for coronavirus, the company said on Wednesday, a day after a worker at BP's operations in Alaska also tested positive.The cases are the first recorded among oil workers in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, and follow a positive test at an Equinor offshore project in the North Sea.A case of the coronavirus was also reported at BP's Whiting, Indiana refinery, according to local media reports.More than 850…

The Belgian dredging, environmental and marine engineering group DEME and COSCO Shipping - the largest shipping company in the world - will work closely on the development of offshore wind energy in China. The umbrella agreement was signed today in the presence of Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel and the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. The attendance of both Heads of Government signifies the importance of the cooperation agreement and the Chinese vision concerning the transition to renewable energy. DEME and COSCO Shipping are both market leaders in their sectors and have found one another in a joint venture active in offshore wind energy in China.

16 deserving students were awarded with the Howe Yoon Chong PSA Scholarship. Mr Fock Siew Wah, Group Chairman of PSA International (PSA), presented the award certificates to the students at a ceremony held in PSA Building in Singapore today. The bond-free scholarships will pay for tuition and other compulsory fees in full, as well as book and living allowances. The 16 Howe Yoon Chong PSA scholars will be pursuing academic studies at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Polytechnics and local Universities. Since its inception in 2009, the Howe Yoon Chong PSA Scholarship program has made a difference to the lives of over 110 young Singaporeans.

Inmarsat, the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, will complete another significant milestone in the delivery of its transformational global mobile satellite communications (GX) service with the scheduled launch of Inmarsat-5 F2 (I-5 F2) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12.31pm (GMT) on Sunday 1st February. Inmarsat is investing US$1.6bn in the delivery of Global Xpress, which will create the world’s first globally available, high-speed mobile broadband service, delivered through a single network operator. Inmarsat’s 5th generation satellites – which form the GX network – have all been built by Boeing Satellite Systems International Inc. (“Boeing”) in California.

Damen Shipyards Galati has been presented with the Dutch Romanian Business Award for its Corporate Social Responsibility plan, particularly the Group’s community investment initiatives. The Award was presented by Ben Jager of the Dutch Romanian Network to Peter de Kiewit, Damen Sales Manager for Romania at the PSV Eindhoven football club stadium. The jury presented the Award in recognition of Damen’s positive contribution to the social development of the region and the stimulating effect its activities have on the commercial relations between the Netherlands and Romania. Mr de Kiewit commented: “Damen is delighted to have received this award…

Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG has been confirmed as one of Germany´s most attractive employers. The company has received awards for its exemplary HR management policies and for the outstanding benefits it offers employees. Over recent years, the prestigious Top Employers Institute awarded RRPS predecessor Tognum AG its ´Top Employer, Engineering´ seal of excellence four times and conferred the `Top Employer, Germany´ title three times. The Top Employers Institute recognizes leading employers worldwide who offer outstanding working conditions. This year, in addition to Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG, the `Top Employer, Engineering 2014´ award will go to 25 other companies in Germany.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced that its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division lent support to the community by participating in three area charitable events. Shipbuilders donated nearly 20,000 school supplies to benefit an estimated 1,000 area students, contributed $2 million to the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula, and recently delivered more than 20 metric tons of non-perishable food--five tons heavier than an anchor on the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)--to the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank.

STX Finland has been actively seeking solutions for saving the Finnish shipyard industry. In September 2013, the company launched a major restructuring aimed at safeguarding the operating potential of the company and, by extension, the entire maritime industry in Finland, thus ending the years of uncertainty. As part of the STX Finland Oy restructuring, cooperation negotiations concerning the Rauma and Turku Shipyards have been conducted between the personnel groups and the company management. The negotiations were completed on October 29, 2013.

Observers have hailed the recent opening of the FTZ as the country's most significant reform push since the creation of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone more than three decades ago. 23 measures will be adopted to free up six areas of the service sector reports Xinhua. Foreign-funded financial institutions are allowed to set up banks, and to team up with approved private banks to establish joint-ventures. Limits have been scrapped on the number of shares foreign investors are allowed to hold in shipping and logistics companies and foreign firms will be allowed to run ship-management operations.

HII's Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division donates  more than 20,000 school supplies to assist about 1,000 area students. "HII stresses the importance of education and encourages our employees to get involved in their communities," said Chavis Harris, NNS' director, EEO, diversity and corporate citizenship. "School Tools allows us to engage in both. Shipbuilders donated a variety of school supplies, including 6,258 pencils, 4,386 ball point pens and 911 packs of paper. The supplies were sorted and delivered Friday to area departments of social services…

Crystal Cruises continues to expand its complimentary "You Care, We Care" voluntourism program with new opportunities for guests and crew to give back in Europe. This year, participants can spend a small portion (4-7 hours average) of their luxury vacation time aiding those less fortunate in the Ukraine, Italy, and Spain. The offerings add to a calendar of European goodwill opportunities already established for Greece, Estonia, Norway, Croatia, Germany, and Ireland in 2012. •    Providing assistance to the homeless at a social services center in Odessa. •    Aiding the 400 year-old charity brotherhood of Pio Monte della Misericordia, on excursions from Sorrento and Naples.

Global Marine Networks (GMN), providers of satellite data speed and services, announce the ability to update Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter via satellite phone, with the XGate Satellite Phone Data Service and a compatible computer. XGate Social services are immediately available to XGate subscribers in addition to accelerated satellite phone email, web browsing and weather data service. “Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are the way millions of people share their lives with others every day. Yet until now satellite phone users, who are often in the remote places or emergency situations where they most want to update others of their status, have found it hard to post to social media sites,” said Dr. Luis Soltero, President and CTO of GMN.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Vessel Sanitation Program has responded to an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness aboard the Princess Cruises’ Ocean Princess with recommendations for aggressive sanitation measures. These measures are currently being implemented by the owners of the vessel in order to halt the spread of disease. CDC is also coordinating with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and Health Canada. On May 26, Princess Cruises notified CDC of an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness aboard the Ocean Princess. The ship was en route from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Seward, Alaska. Of the 2,053 passengers on board, at least 40 became ill with gastrointestinal symptoms. In addition, 12 of the 852 crew members also became ill.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) issued a Food Safety & Sanitation Bulletin providing information about Norwalk-Like Virus (NLV) outbreaks aboard cruise vessels. In May and again in August, outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness caused by Norwalk-Like Virus (NLV) occurred on cruise ships traveling between Vancouver and Seward. Other sporadic cases of Norwalk-like virus are being reported in Alaska. Travelers use a variety of transportation modes to get to Alaska and to destinations throughout the state. This increases the number of persons they contact, and facilitates person-to-person spread of this illness. Norwalk-like viruses (NLVs) are a group of viruses that cause gastroenteritis.